(Bloomberg) -- North American theaters are headed for their second straight weekend of falling ticket sales, with expectations of only a modest turnout for a new installment of the G.I. Joe franchise, called “Snake Eyes,” and “Old,” an M. Night Shyamalan horror film.

The two movies are expected to generate about $30 million combined, according to an estimate from Boxoffice Pro, which predicts a close race for the No. 1 spot. That total is slightly less than what “Space Jam: A New Legacy” made in its debut last weekend, and half what Walt Disney Co.’s “Black Widow” took in two weeks prior.

The performance shows the industry is struggling to maintain momentum and recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier in July, it appeared a slate potential blockbusters might spark a triumphant return. But the recovery has slowed, with many moviegoers taking advantage of online viewing opportunities for new features and watching at home in large numbers.

“Studios are still testing the waters with smaller releases, shorter windows and hybrid strategies,” Geetha Ranganathan, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, said in a note.

Both “Old” and “Snake Eyes” are premiering exclusively in theaters. That’s unusual for the pandemic era: Studios have chosen to release many of their 2021 films online and in theaters at the same time -- to help their new streaming services and reach consumers who may still be wary of public gatherings.

That’s been a source of tension between studios and theater owners. The National Association of Theatre Owners excoriated Disney in recent days for releasing the big Marvel picture “Black Widow” online, saying it’s hurt revenue for the entire industry.

It’s easy to see why theaters are complaining. Domestic box-office sales for the summer -- always the busy season for moviegoing -- were down 77% from 2019 levels to around $978 million, according to Box Office Mojo, an industry tracker.

Both of this weekend’s new releases were delayed by the closing of cinemas during the spread of Covid-19. “Snake Eyes,” which stars Henry Golding and tells an origin story tied to the Hasbro Inc. toy line G.I. Joe, was initially scheduled to premiere on March 27, 2020, a few days after all of Hollywood closed.

With poor reviews from critics and about 15% of U.S. theaters still closed, the movie is expected to deliver far less than the other movies in the franchise. Two previous G.I. Joe movies collected more than $40 million over their opening weekends, in 2009 and 2013. The film is from ViacomCBS Inc.’s Paramount Pictures division.

“Old,” about a beach where people age extremely quickly, was initially scheduled to come out in February 2021. It’s from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures division.

The films are a toss-up for first place, with each expected to make about $15 million in North America. Warner Bros.’ new “Space Jam” installment featuring LeBron James, inspired by the 1996 film starring Michael Jordan, should generate about $14.3 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, according to Boxoffice Pro.

Theaters are on a long journey to recovery from the last 18 months. Part of that time they were closed entirely, and all new releases were delayed. They’ve slowly reopened, but with difficulties. Fears about the virus and mask mandates, as well as regularly changing rules, have made it tough to fill auditoriums. Cinemas are also highly dependent on new releases.

Overall, domestic box-office receipts for the top 10 pictures this weekend should decline as much as 21% from almost $90 million last weekend, Boxoffice Pro said.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.